Tuesday, July 30, 2013

1) West Papuan media pressured over pro-independence reportage.


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Posted at 09:05 on 30 July, 2013 UTC
The chairman of the Papua branch of the Indonesian Independent Journalists Alliance says journalists in the region are pressured by authorities not to publish material about West Papuan pro-independence groups.
Victor Mambor, who is also the editor of the Tabloid Jubi newspaper, says it’s not uncommon for media outlets in West Papua to experience regular representations by police.
He spoke to Johnny Blades about what it’s like running a media outlet in West Papua.
VICTOR MAMBOR: In West Papua, the intimidation and threats still happen, but not like before 2000. So, for example, in West Papua, now for the new issue, I mean the MSG issue, no media in West Papua writes about the issue, only our newspaper.
JOHNNY BLADES: Why not?
VM: Because some of the media in West Papua, the government told them not to write about the issues.
JB: What happens if they do write about that? Do they get a visit by the police?
VM: They just have a call, and then a meeting, close meeting, to discuss with the authorities there. And actually the government and police always invite the editor-in-chief to attend a meeting with them.
JB: Have you faced harassment for reporting on OPM or police brutality, military attacks?
VM: Yeah, the harassment still happens, but it’s in other ways, not like the police come and tell me, ’Don’t do it’. But they invite us to the meeting and speak closely together. The harassment still happens, but not as bad. For example, my journalist was interrogated by the police when he covered for the KNPB - West Papua National Committee demonstration. And they asked, ’Why should you cover the demonstration?’ Actually, they have no idea to harass, but they just threaten us. I don’t know why they want to do it, but maybe they... For example, last month they came to the media office, Papua Pos, and they just take a picture there. But they have no idea why they come to the office. They just come to the office and then take a picture. It’s to make the journalists in West Papua have a fear for the police and to write... Even if they have no motivation they just come and visit the office.

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PNG SOLUTION 29 JUL 2013

2) Australia Deceives The Pacific Again

Ronny Kareni
Australia has used Manus Island for decades as a tool to exert colonial power over PNG. West Papuan activist Ronny Kareni on the bigger picture of refugees and domination in the Pacific

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A google translate of article in Bintang papua . Be-aware google translate can be a bit erratic. 
Original bahasa at


Tuesday, July 30, 2013 07:24

3)    5 Activists Arrested Papua Merdeka

Doing Demo Without permission

Jayapura - Papua Merdeka Five activists were arrested during a demonstration on Monday (29/7) yesterday, supports a national action agenda relating to Self Determination (Self-Determination, ed) for the people of West Papuans, including PPB meeting of the Human Rights Committee, in Geneva - Switzerland (10 s / d July 11, 2013), the visit of Ambassador (Ambassador) to the United States and the West Papua inauguration support OPM office in the State of the Netherlands.
They were arrested, Chairman (coriander) are also SHDRP National Unity Reconciliation Team Responsible for Public Mobilization Volume 2 Yogobi Osama, who is also Chairman of the First SHDRP Field Coordinator (coordinator) Alius Asso peaceful demonstration, peaceful demonstration Korlap region III Housing Johannis Elegani , sympathizers SHDRP Benny Hisage and Bureau Chief (Karo) WPNA Transitional Government Region III Saireri Marthinus Wandamani.

All five were arrested when trying to rally consisting of the combined mass SHDRP, WPNA and NFRPB well done kumpulnya point in front of the Office of Legal Aid (Garuda, red), Abepura and rallying point in Housing III Waena, that wants to march to the Office of the MRP and the regional parliament was disbanded the police force, because there is a license.
Demonstrations to be conducted by SHDRP the rallying point in Abepura District and District Heram, target premises will go to the Office of the MRP and Papuan Parliament as expressed by the person in charge of a team of National Unity Reconciliation For Public Mobilization Volume 2 Osama Yogobi when held a press conference, in Nayak dorm, on Sunday (28/7) yesterday and then.
Based on the observation Bintang Papua forcibly dispersed a demonstration the police because of what the demonstrators would do differently with what is presented in the notice and request for permission to the security forces.
In the forced dissolution of the five activists arrested Papua Merdeka, including Osama Yogobi Alius Asso and Jayapura City were taken to Police Headquarters, while three others were taken to Mapolsek Abepura City.
Jayapura Police Chief Adjunct Senior Commissioner Alfred Papare, SIK, accompanied by Deputy Chief of Jayapura City AKP Kiki Kurnia, Abepura City Police Chief Commissioner and Chief Unit Hursepunny Decky Abepura City Criminal Police also spotted in the middle - the middle of a crowd of demonstrators in order to dismiss the peaceful demonstration.
Jayapura Police Chief Alfred City Commissioner Papare, SIK, when it was confirmed after the dissolution of the Bintang Papua, said that two security men (Osama Yogobi and Alius Asso) the alleged field coordinator (coordinator) was immediately taken to the Police Headquarters for questioning Jayapura City of action The demo is almost chaos.
"So, after they both are taken we will send her statement. Where, tekrkait securing two guys sure we will invite both family and colleagues - fellow managers to see us when the two of them back, "said City Commissioner Jayapura Police Chief Alfred Papare, SIK.
"If there is no vehicle that drove them home then we are ready to facilitate their return. Since we are taking, we will sent home again, "said the police chief in Jayapura Legal Aid Office, Garuda - Detroit, Village Yobe, Abepura District, Monday (29/7) yesterday afternoon at approximately 11:00 CDT.
While it's a different place, Sekjend SHDRP Jubedius Selegani said it was very disappointed with what the security forces disperse the crowd by force, whereas before they had a letter - a letter, either a notice or letter requesting permission demonstration in the Papua Police to since one week ago.
"So, with this forced dissolution, Repbulik the Unitary State of Indonesia (Republic of Indonesia) have to know with something like this is done in the country. However, at the national level it is a victory for the people of West Papuans and stay for a while longer Nations people of West Papua will receive a great victory, the West Papuan independence is separated from the Republic of Indonesia, "he said.
Selegani so familiar greeting adds, police have released five people aktvis Papua Merdeka who have been arrested in two different places, namely bin Laden Yogobi, Alius Asso, Johannes Elegani, Benny Hisage and Marthinus Wandamani. "If five people are not exempt or not returned, then we will continue to occupy this place more than the sum of the masses today and we will also make efforts - another attempt by us to free the five of them," he said.
In line with that, 'Governor WPNA Region III Domberai' Mark Yenu expressed concern and disappointment over the actions of police who forced the dissolution, accompanied by the beating action against the demonstrators. "We are disappointed and concerned by the actions of police who forced the dissolution action is accompanied by the beating of demonstrators both SHDRP, WPNA and NFRPB it," pissed.
In line with this, the Bureau Chief (Karo) WPNA Transitional Government Region III Saireri Marthinus Wandamani say, an act of disbanding police force and also catch him it will spread widely to the international media, that today (yesterday, red) one of the five Merdeka Papuan activists were arrested police of the Republic of Indonesia (RI) so as to accelerate the process of West Papua's struggle for independence.
"You (police, red) that have caught me then it would be up to the widespread international news, which at today's (yesterday's) there Merdeka Papuan activist who was arrested by the police Homeland and it will also speed up the process of struggle Papua west to escape and independence of the Republic of Indonesia, "he concluded. (Mir/don/l03)
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Monday, July 29, 2013

1) Indonesia called on to speak with West Papuans to identify issues


1) Indonesia called on to speak with West Papuans to identify issues
2) One man fights to set his nation free
3) House to consider only proposal to promote 30 areas into regencies of Papua
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Posted at 08:20 on 29 July, 2013 UTC
A civil society leader has made a plea for Indonesia to dialogue with West Papuans to ensure their basic rights such as freedom of expression.
The comment from the head of the Papua Peace Network, Neles Tebay, comes after the UN Human rights Committee highlighted an ongoing failure to protect civil and political rights in West Papua.
At the committee’s recent Indonesia hearing, the Indonesian government delegation to the committee responded by saying that freedom of expression is not absolute.
Fr Tebay says Indonesia needs to understand the social and political context of West Papuan independence calls.
He says that’s why dialogue is imperative.
“For the government and indigenous West Papuans to jointly identify the problem and its root causes and jointly discover independent solutions so that the result of the dialogue would be that every person living in West Papua can express freely its opinion.”
Neles Tebay
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http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/asia-pacific/indonesia/130725/benny-wenda-west-papua-independence

2) One man fights to set his nation free

Benny Wenda's campaign for West Papuan independence is embarrassing Britain and enraging Indonesia.


ENLARGE
Benny Wenda: "My people will be free." (Corinne Purtill/GlobalPost)
OXFORD, UK — Benny Wenda has been many things in his 38 years.
Among them, student and activist, prisoner and wanted man, a child of indigenous farmers in the West Papua province of Indonesia and a father of six in this English university town.
From 2011 to 2012, he was the subject of an Interpol red notice, an international order for his immediate arrest and extradition to Indonesia, where he staged a daring prison break in 2002 before seeking asylum in Britain.
To the Indonesian government, he is at once a “non-issue,” a “criminal” and a headache.
For Wenda, it’s all been in the service of a single goal: independence for West Papua and an end to what he describes as decades of oppression at the hands of the Indonesian government and military.
“They look at West Papuans as subhuman,” he said over coffee near his office in Oxford. A man of compact stature and gentle demeanor, Wenda says Indonesia has never treated West Papua as an equal partner. “We are a different color. We are a different race. Self-determination is the goal.”
One of 16,000 islands in the Indonesian archipelago, West Papua covers an area just smaller than California and is located on the western half of New Guinea. (The eastern half of the island, Papua New Guinea, is an independent nation.)
Home to some 3 million people, most indigenous ethnic minorities, it is one of Indonesia’s poorest provinces.
Its forests and earth, however, contain some of the richest natural resource reserves in Indonesia, the targets of millions of dollars in foreign investment. That means Indonesia — and other governments with a financial stake in the region — won’t let it go quietly.
West Papuan independence is an extremely sensitive issue for Indonesia, as Britain found out in April, when Wenda prompted a diplomatic row by opening the Free West Papua Campaign’s small office.
Fearful of offending a country with which it’s hoping to build lucrative trade and diplomatic ties, the UK has been quick to distance itself from any challenges to Indonesia’s territorial sovereignty.
“It is vital that we do not allow the West Papua issue to damage our work with Indonesia,” a government source told the Telegraph newspaper in June.
The UK and the rest of the world has officially recognized West Papua as part of Indonesia since 1969, when residents voted unanimously to incorporate themselves into the archipelagic country in a UN-backed referendum.
Critics of the Act of Free Choice maintain that the select Papuans allowed to participate were forced to vote that way under threat of violence.
Wenda and fellow campaigners allege that Indonesia’s police and military have subjected West Papua to violent oppression since the country took de facto control of the province even earlier, in 1963.
Their claims are buttressed by research from Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and other independent organizations that have documented political intimidation, torture, rape, disappearance and extrajudicial killings of Papuans at the hands of state forces.
“There have been human rights abuses in West Papua actually since day one,” says Andreas Harsono, a Human Rights Watch researcher in Jakarta.
When the Indonesian government has been confronted with evidence of those offenses, “sometimes they responded. Sometimes they do arrest soldiers or police officers. But consistently, the punishment is only a slap on the wrist,” Harsono said. “There is a sense of impunity in West Papua.”
Wenda’s asylum claim in the UK — he is now a British citizen — stems from his arrest on suspicion of conspiracy in the murder of a police officer in West Papua in 2000, a charge he firmly denies.
Placing his foot on a café bench, he pushes down his sock and rolls up his jeans to reveal lash-like scars around his ankles from what he says were shackles put on him in jail.
On a windy night in 2002 that masked the sounds of his escape, he broke through the prison’s ventilation system, scaled a wall and made his way to Papua New Guinea, then to Britain, where supporters met him at Heathrow Airport. His palms bear scars from glass shards embedded in the prison gates.
Friends smuggled out his wife and infant daughter, who joined him in 2003. The couple now has six children.
Indonesia issued Interpol’s highest alert, the red notice, for Wenda in 2011, but was forced to remove it the following year after an investigation by the international police organization determined that the case against him was “predominantly political in nature.”
As far as Indonesia is concerned, however, he remains a criminal on the lam.
“I question Benny Wenda’s claim that he is a peaceful activist who would want the freedom of Papua. His hands are bloodied,” said Dino Kusnadi, spokesman for the Indonesian Embassy in London. “We do not negotiate with him, and we see him as someone who is hiding from the law.”
“The book hasn’t been closed yet,” he added, on whether Indonesia will continue to fight for his extradition.
Wenda praised Britain as a good host to him and his family. He’s adjusted to the cold and the food, and his initial shock at seeing a landscape relatively denuded of trees and forest has subsided.
However, he is adamant that his stay is only temporary.
“I’m not looking for a better life or a good house,” he said. “I’m on a mission, and one day I will go back.”
Wenda sees West Papua as similar to East Timor, the Indonesian province that broke away to become an independent state in 2002.
However, analysts say West Papua’s enormous oil and mineral resources make it different.
The American company Freeport-McMoRan runs the world’s largest gold mine and third-largest copper mine there, and BP struck a $12 billion liquid natural gas deal there in December. Observers say companies and the governments of investing countries have clear incentives to back Jakarta's stance on Papua's status.
“It’s unlikely the USA would play the same peace-broker role in Papua that it did in East Timor, where there was little American capital investment on the line,” wrote Gary Hogan, Australia’s former defense attaché to Indonesia.
Wenda remains undaunted. He wants to open Free West Papua offices in the Netherlands, Australia and the United States.
Real change may take another five or six years to begin, he predicts, but even the British Empire fell.
“My people will be free,” he says confidently. “No doubt. One hundred percent.”
http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/asia-pacific/indonesia/130725/benny-wenda-west-papua-independence
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3) House to consider only proposal to promote 30 areas into regencies of Papua

Mon, July 29 2013 11:45 | 116 Views
Jayapura, Papua (ANTARA News) - A legislator said only 30 of 70 areas proposed to become regencies in the provinces of Papua and West Papua would be considered for deliberations of the House of Representatives. 

Papua and West Papua are also proposed to be split into seven provinces, Yorries Raweyai, a lawmaker of the Commission I of The House of Representatives from Papua, said.

However, only the proposal to promote the status of 30 areas into new autonomous areas (DOB), would be discussed between the House and the Government, Yorries said here on Monday. 

He said Grime Nawa in the regency of Jayapura, is one of the 30 areas in the priority agenda for discussions by the House and the government. 

"Now it is up to us legislators from Papua and West Papua to push for the acceptance of the proposal in the House," he said, adding implementation is expected after the general elections in 2014. 

He said elections for regional leaders would be held at once at the same time with the general election.
(Uu.H-ASG/O001)
Editor: Priyambodo RH



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Sunday, July 28, 2013

1) Evaluation of Special Autonomy Law will only advance the Interests of the Government


1) Evaluation of Special Autonomy Law will only advance the Interests of the Government
2) Recomendation from  the Evaluation of implementation of Special Autonomy Law in Papua, 
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1) Evaluation of Special Autonomy Law will only advance the Interests of the Government
JUBI, 18 July 2013

Jayapura, 18 July 2013

KontraS (Commission for the Disappeared and  Victims of Violence) believes that that plan by the MRP (Papuan People's Council) to undertake an evaluation of the government's implementation of special autonomy  which is due to take place at the end of this month will be something quite negative.

'This evaluation is only intended to legitimise interests that are not favourable for the Papuan people,' said Olga Hamadi, the Director of KontrtaS-Papua. She said: 'I am very doubtful about any evaluation of the special autonomy law that is conducted by the MRP. The primary purpose  will be to advance the government's intention to ratify the Special Autonomy Plus  Law.'

'This evaluation is nothing more than the intention of the MRP the purpose of which is to support  the government's intention to ratify the Special Autonomy - Plus Law. 'This evaluation will only promote the interests of  the government to go ahead with the Autonomy - Plus Law which is no better that the Special Autonomy Law.'

The Special Autonomy - Plus will be no better that the  the Special Autonomy Law., she said.

'What I have been hearing is that certain articles of the Special Autonomy Law will not be included in the Special Autonomy - Plus Law. Some articles such as the articles on human rights and democracy  are not being included.'

She said: 'KontraS does not want to legitimise an evaluation without a clear agenda of what is to happen.' She said that this should not be seen as not agreeing with having an evaluation, but what is being planned appears to be going ahead without proper preparations and the necessary co-ordination. 'It is going ahead on the spur of the moment. There is no way that Papuans living in the cities will be involved. and moreover, those Papuans who live in the interior will not be involved either, with regard to the impact of special autonomy on them.'

She went on to say that Papuan women living in Jayapura really want any evaluation that is undertake to be very comprehensive..

[Slightly abbreviated translation by TAPOL
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from Victor Mambor
2) Recomendation from  the Evaluation of implementation of Special Autonomy Law in Papua, 
organized by The Papuan People's Assembly (MRP) : 
Indigenous Peoples of Papua demands dialogue Jakarta - Papua

Jayapura, 27/07 (Jubi) - Hearing process in order to evaluate the implementation of Special Autonomy Law in Papua which lasted from Thursday (25/07) was officially closed this evening (Saturday, 27/07). Dialogue between Papuans and the central government is the main recommendation from this hearing.

This hearing is the first meeting conducted by the whole representative of Indigenous Papua in order to evaluate the implementation of the Special Autonomy Law in Papua. Participants of the meeting were representatives Papuan People (OAP) from seven regions of indigenous Papua teritories, which is Mamta / Tabi, Saireri, Domberai, Bomberai, Anim Ha, La Pago, Pago Mee and facilitated by the Papuan People's Assembly (MRP) (Papua Pri\ovinces and West Papua Province). In addition, participants are representatives from 40 regencies, both of Papua and West Papua province. Each representative had been presented the results of the evaluation in each district which based on over 280 common questions about the implementation of the Special Autonomy in their administration area.

 During this meeting took place, all over the regencies representative expressly said, special autonomy has failed and promptly carried Jakarta-Papua dialogue mediated by a neutral third party. The representative from 257 tribes  in this Evaluation Meeting also confirmed the hearing is not intended to provide legitimacy to the plan of the Special Autonomy Law Plus or Administration Act of Papua.

 "Representatives of Indigenous Peoples of Papua had views that Law No.21/2001 on Special Autonomy for Papua Province and West Papua in the implementation and performance of the government apparatus, both the central government, provincial governments of Papua and West Papua, and the Regency / City Government has failed in its implementation , " Committee Chairman, Jacobus Dumupa read the overview meetings and greeted with applause attendees.

The hearing process in order to evaluate the implementation of Special Autonomy Law in Papua is eventually produced two key recommendations, which is :

 1. To open space for dialogue between Indigenous Papuans and the Central Government is mediated by a neutral party and held in a neutral place.
 2. Law No.21/2001 as amended by Law No.35/2008 on Special Autonomy for Papua and West Papua will be reconstructed after stage called Jakarta-Papua dialogue done. (Jubi / Benny Mawel)
 
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Saturday, July 27, 2013

1) Your letters: Human rights violations in Papua


1) Your letters: Human rights  violations in Papua
2) ‘Rich’ Papua cop to  face trial soon
3) Freeport looking to process  ore locally

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1) Your letters: Human rights  violations in Papua
The Jakarta Post | Readers Forum | Sat, July 27 2013, 1:03 PM
Although it was disappointing that the issue of membership for West Papua at the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) Summit in Noumea was deferred, a number of decisions by the leaders of the MSG in relation to West Papua are to be welcomed and should be considered a success for the West Papuan people.

In the official MSG Communiqué it stated that the leaders endorsed that the MSG fully supported the inalienable rights of the people of West Papua toward self-determination, as provided for under the preamble of the MSG constitution.

They also endorsed that the concerns of the MSG regarding human rights violations and other forms of atrocities relating to the West Papuan people be raised with the Indonesian government bilaterally and as a group.

There was also a lot of media coverage in the region (before and during) the MSG Summit in relation to the issue of West Papua and hopefully this interest by the media in West Papua will continue. It is also encouraging that the MSG will go on a fact-finding mission to West Papua. The media can play a role in this by hopefully being allowed by the authorities to accompany the fact-finding mission as a way of showing the openness of the process. However, this does not seem likely.

Joe Collins
Sydney
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The Jakarta Post | National | Sat, July 27 2013, 9:27 AM
2) ‘Rich’ Papua cop to  face trial soon
The Papua Police have completed the dossiers of officer Adj. First Insp. Labora Sitorus, who has been accused of running illegal logging and fuel smuggling businesses worth billions of rupiah.

The police submitted Labora’s case file to the Papua Prosecutors Office on Friday.

National Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Agus Rianto said on Friday that Labora faced charges of money-laundering, illegal logging and fuel smuggling. “We have questioned 39 witnesses in the fuel smuggling case, 67 witnesses in the illegal logging case and 28 witnesses in the money laundering case,” he said in Jakarta.

The Labora case first emerged in May following the leak of the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK) stating that a low-ranking officer known as AEW was linked to bank transactions totaling Rp 1 trillion (US$102 million). Later on, the Papua Police found that Labora and his family controlled some companies that illegally sold timber and subsidized fuel.

Agus said that Labora would be charged under the 1999 law on forestry, the 2001 Papua Special Autonomy Law and Money Laundering Law No. 25/2003 and No. 8/2010.

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3) Freeport looking to process  ore locally
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Headlines | Sat, July 27 2013, 11:02 AM
Giant gold and copper producer PT Freeport Indonesia is contemplating the possibility of processing its mineral ores at local existing smelters so it can continue exporting.

The move is in line with the government’s demand — as stipulated in the 2009 Mining Law — for the subsidiary of US-based Freeport McMoran Copper and Gold Inc., as well as gold and copper miner PT Newmont Nusa Tenggara, another US-based firm, to process their ores locally or face an export ban.

The law bans mining firms from exporting unprocessed ore from 2014 and requires the firms to build local smelters or to cooperate with smelting companies to process the ore. The legislation aims to help develop the downstream industry.

On Friday, Freeport president director Rozik Soetjipto, accompanied by independent commissioner Marzuki Darusman, met Industry Minister MS Hidayat to convey the miner’s readiness to carry out a feasibility study through Hess Corporation, another US-based firm.

“They spoke of preparations for supply agreements with three national companies, starting with a memorandum of understanding [MoU] scheduled to be signed in August,” said Hidayat, adding that the company promised to finish the study in six months.

“We should enforce the law without any exception. No company will be excluded from the rule.”

Freeport, along with Newmont, has refused to establish its own smelters because it would not be economically feasible.

According to Soetjipto, the three local copper smelters that are in talks with Freeport are PT Nusantara Smelting, PT Indosmelt and PT Indovasi Mineral Indonesia.

Currently, Freeport processes around half of its copper concentrate at PT Smelting Gresik’s smelter in Gresik, East Java, the smelter processes about 30 percent of Newmont’s copper output.

Hidayat said discussions had also covered divestment, a program that is in line with Freeport’s contract.

Indonesia currently owns a 9.36-percent stake in Freeport Indonesia. (asw)
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